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Gephardt launches presidential campaignDemocrat says 'experience matters'
ST. LOUIS, Missouri (CNN) -- Former House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt officially launched his presidential campaign on Wednesday with a stinging broadside aimed at the Bush administration and a promise to "put hardworking Americans first -- again." In kicking off his second presidential campaign in 15 years, Gephardt -- a Democratic member of Congress for 26 years -- returned to his home state and the elementary school he once attended. "I'm running for president because I'm tired of leadership that's left us isolated in the world and stranded here at home," Gephardt, 62, told an enthusiastic crowd of supporters gathered in the gymnasium of Mason Elementary School. "I'm running for president because I've had enough of the oil barons, the status-quo apologists, the special-interest lobbyists running amok in the White House." Gephardt called President Bush a good man, but said he lacks a comprehensive plan that would spur the sluggish economy and benefit everyone. Like many Democrats, he denounced Bush's economic growth plan as a giveaway to the rich. "Many in the other party believe in survival of the fittest, in feeding those at the top and hoping some of the crumbs fall off the table, kind of like Marie Antoinette with a business degree," Gephardt said. "I believe in what I call trickle-up economics."
Gephardt, who had previously formed a presidential exploratory committee, is part of a crowded Democratic field. Eight Democrats, including Gephardt, have filed or said they will file campaign papers with the Federal Election Commission, and others -- including Florida Sen. Bob Graham, retired Gen. Wesley Clark and former Sen. Gary Hart of Colorado -- say they are considering such a move. Gephardt, who has long courted the labor bloc throughout his political career, emphasized his experience and his background -- the son of a milk truck driver who was a member of the Teamsters union. "I'm not going to say what's fashionable in our politics -- that I'm a Washington outsider, that I couldn't find the nation's capital on a map, that I have no experience in the highest levels of government. I do, and I think experience matters. It's what our nation needs right now," Gephardt said. Gephardt resigned his leadership position after Democrats lost seats in the House in last fall's election, a fact that could make him vulnerable as the presidential contenders jockey for position and prepare to take on a popular president. Problems at homeThroughout his speech, Gephardt, who previously sought the Democratic nomination in 1988, stressed what he described as Bush's failure to address problems at home, such as health care and the economy, and he criticized the administration's "bullying" on the international stage. At the same time, Gephardt noted that he had been an early and active supporter of the congressional resolution authorizing the use of military force against Iraq. On the domestic front, Gephardt outlined a plan to give employers tax credits that would cover "most of the cost" associated with providing health care coverage to their workers. With the new incentive, businesses would be expected to offer health care coverage to full-time workers, aides told the Associated Press. The tax credit would replace the existing employer tax deduction, which is now about 35 percent of the cost of coverage. Gephardt hopes to eventually cover up to 65 percent of insurance costs under his plan, aides said. Gephardt also said he would create: • A trust fund for homeland security costs. • A Teacher Corps in which the government would help pay tuition for students who agreed to teach for five years after college. • An international minimum wage, different for every nation, that would be established through the World Trade Organization. Gephardt flew to the politically pivotal state of Iowa after his speech in Missouri. Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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